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Augl30, I955- H. E. HECKER 2,715,485

COMBINATION SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CARTONS Filed Aug. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE 1' g- 5 H. E. HECKER 2,716,485

COMBINATION SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CARTONS Filed Aug. 10,1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JTTORNEY United States Patent COMBINATION SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CARTONS Hanns Ewald Hecker, Hamden, C0nn., assignor to The American Rondo Corporation, Hamden, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application August 10, 1953, Serial No. 373,194

2 Claims. (Cl. 20645.25)

This invention relates to a combination shipping and display carton or container for packaging, shipment and attractive display of a plurality of articles, such, for example, as pens, pencils, etc., in closely spaced relationship, but out of contact with each other.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a combined shipping and display carton which can readily and easily be loaded with a plurality of articles, such as pens, pencils, etc.; which provides complete protection for the articles during shipment, storage and display; which results in a saving in time, labor and expense in effecting the packaging and display of the articles; and which can be used for display purposes, the carton being provided with a billboard or display panel, so designed that it remains erect when moved to display position.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.

In accordance with this invention a combined shipping and display carton is provided for supporting a plurality of articles in spaced relation out of contact with each other. The carton is made from a one-piece diecut blank comprising a front panel having a U-shaped display opening therein, side panels defining the sides of the carton, and a back panel defining the back of the carton. Extending from the base of the back panel is a base flap provided with score lines, which flap when folded along the score lines and having its terminal end interlocked with a slot in the back of the carton provides an easel support for the package. Extending from the top of the back panel and defined by score lines is a top closure panel and contiguous thereto is a display or billboard panel. Thus, in effect, the back panel has extending therefrom a top flap provided with score lines defining the top closure panel and the display panel. This top flap is provided near its sides with score lines which intersect the score lines defining the top closure panel, and define marginal side flaps along the sides of the top flap. These side flaps when the carton is folded and disposed in display position, lend rigidity to the display panel, maintaining it in the desired erect position. The display panel when folded covers the major area of the display opening in the face of the carton desirably leaving a narrow portion thereof uncovered through which the articles in the package may be observed at all times.

Cooperating with the carton is a tray-like member consisting of a support to which is adhesively secured intermediate the ends thereof an article holder constituted of a plurality of substantially parallel undulations providing spring clip-like holders for the articles. The support is scored contiguous to the base of the undulating member to provide a flap which, when folded into vertical position, abuts the base of the undulated holders. This flap has multiple functions. It aids in aligning the .bottom ends of the articles in the holder, imparts rigidity to the tray-like member constituting the holder and lends support to the base of the carton. This traylike member, preferably, is of a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the carton and of a length such that it can readily be slid into the carton.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated on the drawing, the invention is shown incorporated ina combined shipping and display carton for pens and the present description will be confined to this illustrated embodiment of the invention. that the novel features and improvements are susceptible to other applications, such, for example, as combined shipping and display cartons for other objects including pencils, amponles, radio tubes, etc. Hence, the scope of this invention is not confined to the embodiment herein described.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and showing, for purposes of exemplification a preferred form of this invention, without limiting the claimed invention to such illustrative instance,

Figure l is a perspective view of a combined shipping and display carton embodying this invention, the display carton, for the sake of simplicity, is shown in display position with only one pen therein;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken through .line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken in a plane passing through line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the carton of Figures 1 to 3 is made;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the tray-like member into which the articles may be loaded; and

in a plane passing Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the combined shipping and display carton in closed position.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, 10 indicates a combination shipping and display carton embodying this invention, which in the embodiment shown in the drawings is in the shape of an elongated par allelepiped. It consists of a face 11 having a U-shaped display opening 12, base 13, sides 14 and 15 and a back 16. Extending from the top of the back 16 is a display or billboard flap 17. This flap may be folded, asbest shown in Figure 6, to act as a closure for the top of the carton 10 and for the major portion of the display opening 12. When in folded position the display flap 17 covers all but the lower portion of the display opening 12, so that, even when the carton is in closed position as shown in Figure 6 and sealed, the lower portion of the display opening 12 is not covered, permitting inspection of the contents of the display package at all times.

When member 17 is in the erect position shown in Figure 1, it will be noted the pens may readily be removed.

The carton hereinabove described is produced from a one-piece die-cut blank shown in Figure 4. This enables economical manufacture of the cartons. 4, 20 indicates the panel which forms the front face 11 of the carton, this panel being provided with the, -U- shaped opening 12 and being defined by vertical score lines 21, 22 and horizontal score line 23. Extending from the horizontal score line 23 is a pair of flaps 24, 25 which, when folded, produce the base of the carton, as best shown in Figure 2. Extending from the left-hand side (viewing Figure 4) of the panel 20 is a side' flap 26 which cooperates with side flap 27 on the right-hand side of back panel 31 to define and form side 14 of the carton. Flaps 26 and 27, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, are adhesively secured to each other when the blank is folded along the score lines to form side 14 of the carton; side 15 is produced by the panel 27' defined on one side by score line 22 and on the other side by score line 28. Panels 26 and 27"have base tabs 29 and 30, respectively, which fold inwardly It will be understood, however,

In Figure.

3 and lock with the panels 24, 25 to produce the base 13 of the carton.

Back panel 31, which forms the back wall 16 of the carton, has therein a U-shaped slit 32 the function of which will be hereinafter described. Extending downwardly from the base of back panel 31 is a supporting flap 33 scored along lines 34 and 35, the latter defining the base of a tongue 36. The line of jointure between flap 33 and panel 31 is defined by a score line 37 along which the supporting flap 33 may be folded. Flap 33 is also folded along score line 34, as best shown in Figure 2, permitting the tongue 36 to enter and lock in slot 32, thus forming a triangular easel or support to maintain the carton in an erect or vertical position inclined somewhat to the horizontal, as shown in Figure 2.

Score line 38 defines the top of back panel 31. A top closure panel 39 is defined by score lines 38 and 40 and is disposed contiguous to the back panel 31. Extending above panel 39 is a display or billboard panel 41. Flap 17 is thus constituted of closure panel 39 and billboard panel 41. Disposed along the sides of flap 17 are the diagonal score lines 42, 43. These score lines lead from near the top of panel 41 and terminate at points 44 and 45 in the back panel 31. Leading from the terminals 44 and 45 to the sides of the back panel 31 are slits 46 and 47. These slits and the score lines 42, 43 define side flaps 48 and 49, respectively, which flaps, it will be noted, extend across the score lines 38 and 40 defining the top closure panel 39 of the carton.

When the combination display and shipping container or carton is in display position, as shown in Figure 1, the side flaps 48 and 49 are folded so that they extend substantially at right angles to the face of the display panel 41. In this position the flaps counteract and resist the folding tendencies of score lines 38 and 40 and maintain the display panel 41 erect; in other words, the side flaps 48 and 49 impart rigidity and firmness to the display panel 41. Before closing the carton, the side flaps 48 and 49 are moved so that they lie in the same plane as the display panel 41 and flap 17 is then folded to the closed position shown in Figure 6. The carton will then be completely closed at its top, as best seen in Figure 6, eliminating the possibility of the pens therein falling out during the shipment or other handling of the closed package. Flap 17, however, does not completely cover display opening 12, leaving this area uncovered across the full width thereof along its base. This enables inspection of the contents of the package at all times, i. e., enables the quick determination of whether the package contains the desired number of pens.

The blank shown in Figure 4 may be made of cardboard or pasteboard of a thickness commonly used in the manufacture of cartons or boxes. The holder 51 shown in Figure 5 is composed of a flat pasteboard or cardboard strip A to which is adhesively secured an undulating or corrugating strip B also of pasteboard or thin cardboard. The assembly of flat strip A and corrugated strip B may be produced in long lengths, as disclosed in Patent 2,525,202 granted October 10, 1950, and cut into sections of the desired length. In assembling the fiat strip A with the undulated or corrugated strip B, strip B is so disposed relative to strip A as to provide marginal flanges 52 and 53 of the flat strip A not covered by the undulated or corrugated strip B. Flat strip A is provided with a score line 54 permitting ready folding of flange 53, which desirably is of a depth substantially equal to the depth of the corrugations in strip B. These corrugations in turn desirably are of a depth to substantially completely envelop the pens therein and of a height somewhat less than the height of the pens. It will be understood the dimensions will be varied depending upon the dimensions of the articles to be packaged and displayed.

Each corrugation or undulation is defined along each of its sides by double side walls 55 (Figure 3) separated by an air space 56. These side walls and the cooperating air space act as a cushion preventing contact between adjacent pens and providing a flexible support for the sides of the pens which prevents injury or damage to them in shipment or during other handling. It will be noted that the undulations, as best shown in Figure 3, have a restricted opening 57 and the sides 55 thereof provide spring clip-like holders for the pens disposed in the undulations.

In loading the holders of Figure 5, the desired number of pens to be placed therein may be disposed on the holder with the latter flat, i. e., flap 53 disposed flat and not folded. By a simple pressure of the hand, preferably using a rolling motion, all the pens are automatically placed in the holder. Thus, by placing, say 12 pens on a holder designed to hold that number of pens, the holder having 14 corrugations or undulations, the pens are thus readily and quickly placed within the undulations leaving the terminal undulations free. the palm of the hand is all that is necessary for this purpose. To align the pens within the holder it is only necessary to move flap 53 to the vertical position, shown in Figure 5, and apply slight pressure, say with one hand to the tops of the pens. Flap 53 thus not only has the function of aiding in alignment the pens, but it also lends rigidity and firmness to the holder 51 and adds support to base 13 of the carton 10.

When the holder is loaded, as hereinabove described, it is slid into the open end of the carton 10 which has been assembled from the blank of Figure 4. When thus disposed in the carton the side undulations free of pens are disposed under the face wall of the carton, the width of the display opening 12 being such that all pens in the holder are exposed to view. By folding the flap 17 to the position shown in Figure 6 and sealing it by means of a suitable removable label, or otherwise, the carton is in condition for shipment. When it is desired to display the contents of the carton it is only necessary to remove the label or other member holding flap 17 in folded position, unfold flap 17, fold the side flaps 48, 49 to the position shown in Figure l and also fold base flap 33 to the position shown in Figure 2 with tongue 36 interlocked with slit 32 in back panel 31.

It will be noted this invention provides a combination shipping and display carton which can be easily manufactured economically, which consists of a one-piece blank from which the display carton is produced and a tray-like member which can readily and easily be loaded for holding the individual articles in spaced relationship, completely protected, both during shipment and when displayed.

The display carton, it will be further noted, is so designed that the display or billboard portion thereof remains erect and has little or no tendencies to collapse.

Since diiierent embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A one-piece die-cut blank for producing a carton consisting of a front panel having a display opening, a back .panel separated from the front panel by an intermediate side panel forming one side wall of the carton, side panels on the front and back panel adapted to be adhesively secured together to form another side wall of the carton, the base of said front panel having a pair of flaps adapted to be folded to form the base of the carton, the base of said back panel having a supporting flap extending therefrom provided at its free end with a locking tab, said back panel having a locking slit for engagement with said locking tab thus locking said flap in position to support the carton in a substantially upr right position, a top closure panel contiguous to the top A simple motion ofof said back panel defined by score lines, a display panel contiguous to said top closure panel, slits extending inwardly from the opposite sides of the back panel near the top thereof, said back panel being disconnected from said side walls above said slits, and diagonal score lines extending from near the top of said display panel to the terminal ends of said slits and defining side flaps which intersect the score lines delineating said top closure panel, said side flaps imparting rigidity and strength to the display panel when said flaps are folded so that they lie in a plane at an angle to the plane of the display panel and said top closure panel, and both of said latter panels are in coplanar relation in an upright position.

2. A combination shipping and display carton, comprising a front panel having a display opening therein; sides; a back; a top closure panel contiguous to the top of said back and having its side edges in substantially longitudinal alignment with the side edges of said back, said top closure panel being adapted to be moved to erect position when said carton is in display condition; a display panel extending from said top closure panel and having its side edges in longitudinal alignment with the side edges of said top closure panel, said display panel adapted to be folded to cover at least a portion of said display opening; and score lines extending angularly from the sides of the top closure panel, near the top thereof,

along the sides of said display panel and said top closure panel, and terminating in said back, near the sides and at the top thereof; said back having slits therein leading from the terminal ends of said score lines to the marginal sides of said back, said slits and score lines defining side flaps on said display panel and said top closure panel located within the border edges of said display panel and said top closure panel and also defining portions of said back panel near the top thereof disconnected from the sides of said carton above said slits, which flaps-when folded so that they lie in a plane at an angle to the plane of the display panel and said top closure panel and both of said latter panels are in coplanar relation in an upright position, impart rigidity to said display panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,515,741 Lyons Nov. 18, 1924 1,626,324 Booth Apr. 26, 1927 1,733,803 Hornecker Oct. 29, 1929 2,212,630 Anderson Aug. 27, 1940 2,517,030 Ringler Aug. 1, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 328,834 Great Britain May 8, 1930 281,928 Switzerland July 16, 1952 

